


Hunter's Mark

by TryingToVibe



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-23 02:53:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30048816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TryingToVibe/pseuds/TryingToVibe
Summary: In a fantasy world where those who are born or develop special marks somewhere on their body known as 'Hunter's Marks' are prosecuted for the powers they grant them, we follow (primarily) Prince Roman who has recently run away from his home in the castle. Along the way he meets a few colorful figures that we all know and love, only to realize that he isn't so different than then after all.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders
Kudos: 2





	Hunter's Mark

It was always clear who the king's favorite was.

Roman was given everything he wanted, waited on hand and foot by his father. This left his younger brother, Remus, cast into the shadows. Despite the negligence he faced, Remus cared for his brother and soon-to-be heir to the throne with all of his heart.

That's why it was all the more shocking when Roman ran away from home.

Remus had been arguing with his father for what felt like hours. He was going to send a search party in a few days to find Roman rather than tomorrow to avoid 'inconveniencing his men'.

"That's not soon enough!" Remus yelled for the third time, "If he ran into the woods he'll be torn to fucking bits by the time you find him!"

"Don't you dare speak to me like that." His father retorted. His voice was cold and sharp.

"If you won't find him, then I will," Remus said, tired of his father's negligence.

"Do what you want," His father replied, "don't come crying to me if you get hurt."

Remus stared, shocked for a moment at his father's response. He quickly collected himself and turned away, leaving to prepare to search for his brother.

Roman found himself in the middle of the woods surrounding the castle. He can't read a map to save his life, not that he had one. To make matters worse, the woods were notorious for being full of monsters.

He realized that it would have been smarter to prepare more before leaving, but he didn't exactly have much of a choice. On top of that, the only smart person he could ask for advice in the castle was his brother, and he didn't want Remus to know about his departure.

Roman walked through the forest with his sword in hand, an elegant piece of weaponry with a heavy gold handle and an extravagant silver blade. He had been training to sword fight since he was a kid, giving him false confidence that he would be able to defend himself.

He stopped to look around, attempting to get his bearings as he stumbled into a small clearing. The sun beamed down the gap of trees, flowers sprouting and insects humming. Making his way to the center of the clearing, Roman looked up at the sky. It was about noon, with the sun almost directly above and few clouds getting in its way.

A small rustling echoed from the right of the clearing, making Roman spin on his heel and turn towards the sound.

"Who's there?" Roman called, his voice falsely confident. After a moment, the silence was broken by a large creature bounding into the clearing and throwing itself onto Roman.

He had heard stories of the beasts that lived in the woods, but seeing them in person was completely different from the tales.

Its skin was black as coal, its eyes, and teeth a harsh white against it. the creature's two large front claws pressed onto Roman's chest digging into him.

He yelped in pain, reaching for his sword that wasn't there. It had been knocked out of his hands when the monster pounced.

He turned back to the beast, the sound of his heartbeat mixing with the growls of the creature filled his ears as his eyes brimmed with tears.

Roman closed his eyes, bracing for the creature's bite. He expected to feel pain when a loud thunk punctuated the air.

He opened his eyes to see a small arrow sticking out of the side of the beast's head, causing it to reel back and scream. 

Roman quickly shuffled away from the beast, reaching for his sword. By the time he stood up with his weapon, however, the beast had run off leaving a trail of broken branches and trees in its wake.

"Are you alright?" Called a voice from the edge of the trees. Roman spun on his heels, facing the direction of the sound. 

"Who's there?" Roman called, holding his sword defensively.

a tall, lean figure stepped out of the woods. He wore a long black cloak with dozens of patches sewed into its surface. His dark brown eyes partially covered by his black hair, untidy and untamed underneath the hood he wore. 

"I wouldn't threaten the guy that just saved your life." The man said, hooking the bow he carried with him around his shoulder. Roman lowered his sword, his face tinged with red.

"Ah, yes. Sorry about that." Roman said, sheathing his sword. "I'm sure you can understand why I may be a bit cautious?"

"I mean, I guess so." The man said, eyeing Romans still somewhat pristine clothing. "What the hell is someone like you doing in the Wandering Wood?"

"I'm a traveler," Roman responded quickly "I simply got lost is all." The man laughed.

"Pretty impressive to get so lost to find yourself here," He said, an unsure look crossing his face. "How about I lead you to a town so you don't get eaten?"

"That would be greatly appreciated," Roman replied, "although I'm sure I could find my way on my own."

"Yea, sure." The man replied, extending a hand to Roman. "You can call me Storm."

"Uh... Storm? That's not your real name, is it?" Roman said, shaking the man's hand.

"Of course not," He responded, "It's a nickname." 

"Ah, well... my name is Roman." He said as they started walking.

"Roman? isn't that the prince's name?"

"Uh, yes! My parents named me after him because they admired how skilled and handsome he was." Roman responded with a dramatic gesture. Storm rolled his eyes.

"Alright, Princy." He responded. 

"Princy?" Roman asked, more panic showing in his voice than he would have liked.

"Yea, you look like you could be a prince... and that's not a compliment." Storm said, noticing the smile on Roman's face.

"How is being compared to royalty not a compliment?"

"Because royalty are more often than not stuck-up assholes." Storm answered, his voice cold. "Someone like you probably doesn't understand that."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Roman asked, crossing his arms.

"Refer back to my prince comment, I can't imagine you've had to fight just to survive."

Roman looked at Storm as they began to walk, getting a better view of him than he did before.

He looked to be in his early twenties, about the same age as Roman. Storm's eyes were shadowed by deep bags that could almost be mistaken for eyeshadow with how dark they were. Up close, it became apparent that the patches in the cloak were out of necessity rather than style, making the cloak uneven in certain places where the tears had been too large to repair with a single piece of scrap cloth. The thought of how many times this man had probably fought for his life in the dead of the night made Roman's mind reel.

"Speaking of which, why exactly are you in the woods?" Storm asked, snapping Roman out of his thoughts. "I know you said you're a traveler, but why the woods? The only thing you can get to from here is the castle."

"I uh... wasn't thinking I suppose," Roman answered with a nervous laugh

"I think that's a bit of an understatement," Storm said with a scowl, "in other news, we're here."

Remus gathered his things in a rush, packing nothing but a few days worth of food and water, a notebook, a quill and ink, and his trusty mace. Roman always said Remus had a 'barbaric' taste when it came to weaponry, not that Remus disagreed with him. There was something satisfying about the way it swung, and Remus had imagined sinking it into his old man's head on a few occasions.

He decided to wait until morning to leave for the forest. He may have been eager to find his brother, but he wasn't stupid. He knew going into that forest at night would be a death sentence.

Remus laid in bed staring at the ceiling of his room. The thought of his brother in the woods on his own made him anxious but all the more determined to find him.

"Don't worry Roman... I'm coming."


End file.
